Monday, January 2, 2012

"Under Construction," about New Year's Resolutions and God's desire for making all things new - 2 Corinthians 5:17 with a story and an observation

SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TM)Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!

STORY as told by Ian L. Wilson:
London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

"Forget about the repairs," the buyer said. "When I buy this place, I'm going to build something completely different. I don't want the building; I want the site."

OBSERVATION:
It is that time when resolutions are made. All of them good backed up by good intentions. Lose weight, exercise more, eat better, spend more time with spouse and family, be kinder, spend less, give more to the less fortunate, read more, watch TV less, or whatever is on your list. Each and everyone one of them speak to the basic desire to be better.

A t-shirt spoke volumes. It simply read: Under Construction. I love it because that is the reality of our lives. We are under construction … but who is doing the reconstruction work?

Resolutions normally fail. Within the first 30-days of the new year we have started to slip and the slippery slop only becomes steeper as we return to our old habits, easier patterns, lazy commitments. Therein lies the problem. WE are the ones trying to bring about the change.

Paul writes in Corinthians that God is the one who makes the old life different. Not something that is just a remodeling of the old person, but something totally new. God is the one who makes all things new. The renovations are under God’s direction following God’s design. Our attempts to remake our lives will fail. When our attempts or even our design for the new self are compared with what God has in mind we discover how trivial they really are. In truth, as the story states, God wants the site not the building. He will bring about something that we could never imagine.

PRAYER:
God help us to trust you with the site. Tear down and build new. This is our resolution for the New Year … to be under construction … your construction. Amen.

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I've always stated that I was amazed at those who decided to show up on Sunday morning to hear my conversation with God. Further, I also was constantly sharing that I was amazed at what God did with what he had to work with. This blog is simply the ongoing conversation between the Creator and the Created - a process that is far from over. It is my prayer that something might grow out of this dialogue both in you and in me. Thank you for taking the time to check in to see what I might have to share.

About Me

Married Margaret Sever (a 9th generation Floridian) in 1965. We have two daughters, two great sons-in-love, a beautiful granddaughter and a handsome grandson. Since 1968 I've been a United Methodist Pastor serving churches throughout Florida. Now retired, but serving as part-time pastor the Family of God United Methodist Church in Palmetto as well as a driver for American Cancer Society. Though I'm pastoring a church I am still available to preach whenever invited to do so at other events and/or churches. Margaret and I also serve as tour hosts for various trips through EO. Just contact us to discover the latest trip offerings.